A guide to the origins and evolution of Wisconsin's railroads.

The Railroads of Wisconsin, 1827-1937

Between 1827 and 1915, an extensive rail system was conceived and built in the United States. Wisconsin's first railroad was chartered in 1847 and the state's rail lines had grown to nearly 7,000 total miles by the 1930s. James Kaysen, a civil engineer, compiled these chronological records of the construction, mileage, and ownership of the rail lines in Wisconsin over a 100 year period.